


Five Times Adora Learned Something New About Soulmates And One Time She Was The Teacher

by hollyandvice (hiasobi_writes)



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:53:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24619408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiasobi_writes/pseuds/hollyandvice
Summary: Adora learns about soulmates on her first night in Bright Moon in the most uncomfortable way possible.This is the story of how Adora learned what a soulmate is and found the way to hers.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 594





	Five Times Adora Learned Something New About Soulmates And One Time She Was The Teacher

**Author's Note:**

> This is literally just me being fluffy and ridiculous. I just love these girls so much!!

# 1\. Angella and Micah

Adora learns about soulmates on her first night in Bright Moon in the most uncomfortable way possible.

"Who is that?" she asks the Queen, not knowing how loaded a question that is.

"King Micah. My husband and soulmate."

Adora wants so badly to ask, but she can already tell that there's something here, something deeper than just a partnership here. Something that she doesn't yet understand. "I see."

She doesn't, and Angella can clearly tell. "King Micah built the rebellion with me. He was one of the first casualties of the Horde, but I still bear his mark."

"I'm sorry." Adora isn't completely sure what she's apologizing for, but she has a feeling she's going to be doing that for a long time yet when it comes to Angella.

When their nighttime encounter ends with a thinly veiled threat, Adora knows better than to chase her curiosity of the idea of a soulmate any further. The time will come to ask later.

# 2\. Netossa and Spinnerella

The first thing Adora notices about Netossa and Spinnerella is how close they stay to one another. The easy way they lean into each other's space and just... _exist_ together. It leaves a pang in her heart with the way it reminds her so viscerally of Catra. They used to be like that. Always in one another's way, constantly fighting for Shadow Weaver's good regard. But Netossa and Spinnerella don't have anything like that wearing on them. They just hold onto one another regardless.

She waits until she's been in Bright moon for well over a month before she finally has the guts to ask Glimmer about it. "So, what's the deal with Spinnerella and Netossa? They seem like they're inseparable."

"Of course they are." Glimmer wrinkles her nose the way she does when Adora asks about something that Glimmer thinks should be common knowledge. "They're soulmates."

"Right. Soulmates. Of course, how silly of me."

Bow frowns at her with a little too much knowing in his eyes. Adora looks away, but not before Bow seems to catch on. "You have no idea what a soulmate is, do you?"

Adora looks away from Bow and shakes her head.

"Oh." Glimmer sounds surprised. "I didn't-- I just assumed-- I'm sorry Adora. I'm trying to get better about all this, but sometimes it still just... takes me by surprise."

Adora wraps an arm around her middle as if she could hold in the feeling of being such an outsider. She nods. "I know. It's okay."

Glimmer takes her hands, and Adora feels bereft for a moment. Alone. "Soulmates are the people that make you better. The ones that help you be the best version of yourself. They push you and support you... they're the reason you become the person you need to be. The person you want to be, and you do the same for them."

Adora curls in on herself again. She can think of only one person that ticks all those boxes for her, but she knows Catra doesn't see her that way. Adora's known for years that Catra means more to her than she means to Catra. The reminder is still painful.

"My mom and dad were soulmates." Glimmer's voice is soft with the confession.

"Yeah, Adora says before she can think better of it. "I know."

Glimmer frowns at her. "What? How do you know that?"

"I--" Adora swallows. "Your mom told me on my first night here."

"Wow," Glimmer says. "That's incredible."

Adora hums noncommittally. She tries not to think too hard about what else Angella had said that night. She forces herself to look up at Glimmer and plaster on a smile. "So, have you met your soulmate?"

Glimmer's cheeks go pink, and her gaze stays pointedly on Adora. Ah. So it's like that. "No. Not yet. Most people don't find their soulmates until they're much older. Usually not until they're in they're adults and have things all figured out. That's when it usually happens. I'm sure-- I'm sure I'll find someone then."

Adora glances over at Bow, and even though she thinks she knows his answer, she asks him too.

He shakes his head. "I know I'll find someone that means that much to me one day, but for now I'm ready to go on living this life. It's all I need right now, honestly."

Adora turns away. It's a nice sentiment to be sure, but she knows what the outcome of this friendship is going to be, even if they don't see it yet. And if Netossa and Spinnerella are happy together, then that's just fine too. Adora doesn't have to be jealous of any of them even if she'll never get to have that herself.

# 3\. Mermista and Sea Hawk

"What's that on your wrist?"

Sea Hawk's eyes go bright in that way that tells Adora that she's hit on something he feels very passionately about. She glances down the ship to see if Bow or Glimmer has noticed, but they're both preoccupied with their respective duties on the ship. Adora turns back to Sea Hawk, fully prepared for an earful.

What she gets isn't at all what she was expecting.

"This, my dear lass, is my soul mark. It connects me to my dear Mermista at all times. It allows me to feel when she is in distress, when she needs my support, when she is thinking of me. It has surely let her know already that we are on our way."

Adora reaches out to touch the mark -- a single cresting wave -- but Sea Hawk pulls his hand away before she can touch it.

Sea Hawk looks down at her with a gobsmacked expression. "You don't touch soul marks, lass. Surely you know that."

Adora looks away. "Right. Of course. I-- I knew that. I was just testing you."

Sea Hawk is quiet for a long moment. When he finally seems to have gathered his wits about him, Sea Hawk reaches out to tip Adora's chin up to face him. "You don't know a lot about soulmates, do you lass?"

Adora shakes her head.

"You're an odd one."

Adora smiles. "Thanks. I think."

"Do you want to hear about how I got it?"

Adora relaxes at the offer. "I would love to."

"Okay, but you're getting a shanty out of it."

"I wouldn't expect any different."

(And if Adora is surprised when Mermista seems to reject Sea Hawk out of hand, she keeps it to herself. Maybe there's something she just doesn't understand about all this yet.)

# 4\. Mara

"Did Mara have a soulmate?"

Adora wants to take the question back as soon as it leaves her mouth. Light Hope has never been one for revealing much of Mara's life, and this, of all things, must surely be too personal.

"No."

Adora blinks at the casual way Light Hope answers the question. "Why not?"

"As you know, Mara was not of Etheria. She had no need of such trivialities. She acted as a protector to Etheria but she was not Etheria. She had no need of a soulmate."

Adora's chest lurches. "No need of a soulmate? What does that mean?"

"Mara was here for her mission and her mission alone. That did not mean that she had to condemn herself to their traditions and compulsions. She was strong enough on her own, just as you should be, Adora. You do not need to rely on your friends entirely. There is much you can do on your own."

Adora scoffs and glares at the holographic projection. "My friends have saved my life more than once. They've done a hell of a lot more to help me be a hero than you ever have."

"That is enough of that." That's more like the Light Hope that Adora has come to know and detest. "It's time for more training."

The simulation starts before Adora can get a word in, and soon enough she has to push all thoughts of the conversation from her mind in favor of striking down the enemies that Light Hope has put before her. As far as Light Hope must be concerned, that is that.

(Light Hope will never know the pain that cuts Adora to the core when she learns that she is a First One. That she too is only here for her mission. That, for all that Catra still means to her even with her descent into madness, this will be one thing that they will never share.

Light Hope will never know that. And that is for the best.)

# 5\. Scorpia

"That's a beautiful mark."

Scorpia turns to look at her. "Thank you."

"So, you're uh. You're Catra's soulmate?"

Scorpia tilts her head to the side. "You know not all soul marks mean you're meant to be together, right?"

Adora frowns. "What? Of course they do. Everyone I've ever met with a soul mark--"

"Has already found their chosen bond mate. But some bonds form before both sides have committed and are never reciprocated. Sometimes one bond mate breaks the bond. Sometimes a bond mate dies and the other moves on while they're still alive. Not all bonds are forever."

Adora swallows. "So what happens if a bond is. You know. Broken?"

Scorpia's eyes go soft and sad. "The remaining bond mate has to decide if they are ready to move on. If they will choose to move on. If they don't, the mark remains with them for the rest of their lives."

"And if they do?"

Scorpia gives her a sad smile. "Then the mark fades over time. Eventually it can be like it was never there. It all depends on the convictions of the remaining bond mate."

Adora looks down at her hands. It wasn't enough to learn that she can never match Catra's bond. Now she knows that, even _if_ Catra had ever returned her feelings, that bond would have been long severed. It hurts more than she wants to admit. "Oh. I didn't know that."

Scorpia reaches out to wrap an arm over Adora's shoulders. "You know, even when things were at their darkest, I think you were always Catra's reason. The good, the bad... whatever it was, she always did it for you."

Adora laughs weakly, trying not to show the pain quite as much as she feels it. "I don't know about that, Scorpia. She never seems to think all that much of me."

Scorpia raises an eyebrow, and Adora can feel the skepticism pouring off her in waves. "Okay, whatever you say Adora."

Then she's turning to walk away, leaving Adora to stare at the fading outline of Catra's mask on the back of her neck.

(If Adora is jealous of Scorpia's mark, she doesn't show it. If Adora is even more confused by the purpose of soulmates now, she doesn't show it. If Adora wants nothing more than to forget the concept ever existed, she doesn't show that either.

This is her home now, her life and her family. It won't help to spend her days wishing for the past.)

# +1. Catra and Adora

When Adora wakes up, Catra's tracing a design on her bare chest. It's their first night back in Bright Moon after... well, _after_ , and Adora can't say she's surprised that Catra didn't sleep all that well.

Adora reaches up and cups Catra's cheek in her palm. "Couldn't sleep?"

Catra hums and nuzzles against Adora's hand. "Actually, I slept better than I have in years."

"Oh yeah?" Adora smiles and leans up. Catra meets her halfway in a kiss. "Why's that?"

Catra laughs and pushes Adora's face away. "What, are you fishing for compliments now?"

Adora shrugs and looks away, fighting down a blush. "I mean. Maybe?"

Catra stills. Adora bites her lip and closes her eyes.

She's pushed too far.

"Hey," Catra says gently, tipping Adora's face back to hers. "You don't have to fish for compliments with me. I love you, Adora. I love every last thing about you. Whatever you need me to say, just ask, okay?"

Adora searches Catra's eyes, trying to find any hint of deception or teasing. But there's none. Only the deep, abiding love that Catra's apparently always had for her. She reaches up to cup Catra's face again. "Say it again? Please?"

Catra kisses her cheek. "I love you." Her other cheek. "I love you." Her nose. "I love you, I love you, I love you." She kisses Adora's lips, gentle and lingering with just a hint of promise in the touch.

Adora relaxes. "Okay. Thank you."

Catra hums and pulls back. "Any time, Adora." Catra's eyes dart down to Adora's chest, the same spot she'd been tracing earlier.

"Something wrong?"

Catra blinks, looking caught out. Her tongue darts out to wet her lips and then she's looking down at the space again. "It's just..." She traces Adora's skin with a single claw, sending a thrill through Adora. "Did you always have this?"

Adora blinks. "Have what?"

Catra taps the center of her chest, and Adora cranes her neck to try to see. When she can't see, she gets to her feet and goes over to the mirror.

There, in the middle of her chest, is the sign of the fail safe, inked in perfect gold into her skin. She traces it herself, feeling the beginning of an idea in the back of her mind. When it settles, she turns to Catra, eyes wide. Catra rears back from where she'd closed in on Adora, matching her expression. Adora glances at Catra's chest. There, beneath the fur, she can see it. The beginning of what might be--

Adora tugs at Catra's sleep shirt. "Take this off."

Catra blinks, then raises a knowing eyebrow. "Oh, so that's how it is, huh?"

Adora shakes her head, feeling the desperation clawing at her throat. "Please."

Catra's eyes go wide, but she takes a step back and does as Adora has asked.

There, in the middle of her chest, is a matching gold imprint, traced in Catra's fur and, upon close inspection, the skin beneath it too. With one palm pressed over Catra's breast, Adora stares at the place where her thumb and forefinger frame the mark of their love is etched in perfect form across Catra's heart. She looks up at Catra, eyes wide and hopeful. Before she can register the stunned confusion on Catra's face, Adora has already leaned in to kiss the question from her mouth. "No," she whispers as she pulls back, breathing the word against Catra's lips. "No, I didn't always have that. You put it there."

Catra pulls back. "What?"

"You put it there. It's a soul mark. It means--" Adora cuts herself off before she can finish that sentence. She chooses her words carefully. "It's a symbol. It represents how much we mean to each other. How much you mean to me."

Catra swallows and leans around Adora to examine her own mark in the mirror. "And this?"

"Well. If Scorpia and the rest are to be believed, it... it represents what I mean to you."

"Are they always supposed to match?"

"I... I don't actually know. I've never seen a full set before. Just... just individual people's marks."

"Oh."

Adora can see the hesitation in the way Catra touches her mark. Unwilling to let her... her Catra suffer, Adora crosses the room and grabs the sleep shirt she'd tossed aside, along with another for herself. "Come on. Let's go find out."

"What? How?"

"Easy," Adora says with a smile. "We go ask."

Catra looks as surprised as Adora remembers feeling in her own first days at Bright Moon. All she can hope is that she can give Catra the same love and support that Glimmer and Bow gave her.

And if not, well, Those two will be right there beside her, ready to help anytime. Together with them, she and Catra will be able to do anything.


End file.
